MUNDELEIN, Ill. – Up and coming Irish racer Jonathan Browne has signed with Turn 3 Motorsport for his debut in the upcoming Indy Pro 2000 Championship presented by Cooper Tires.
Throughout his career, the 21-year-old has already amassed a number of headlining victories in the U.K. and Ireland and is now set on making his U.S. debut.
After several years of karting, Browne began racing in the Formula Ford 1600 series where he appeared on the podium multiple times in his premier season.
In 2019, Browne became a Formula Ford 1600 race winner in addition to achieving numerous podiums and pole positions. That same year, Browne dominated the world-famous Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch, winning both his heat and semifinal races from the pole and ultimately taking the victory out of 70 entrants.
In 2020, Browne vied for the Champion of Brands title, successfully winning all five races in a row and becoming the only driver to do so during the event’s long history.
Browne also returned to the Formula Ford Festival where he once again won his heat and semiinal races and narrowly missed a back-to-back victory, coming in second in the final.
Browne most recently drove in the newly rebranded GB3 championship, joining the series for the final three events this past season and landing on the podium in his opening weekend. At this year’s Formula Ford Festival, Browne won his heat race in a strong start to the weekend an, after a tough semifinal, finished eighth in the final.
With an impressive resume to his name, the Irishman is ready to take on his next challenge in the No. 2 Turn 3 Motorsport Indy Pro 2000 car this coming season.
“I’m really looking forward to getting this season underway in the next couple of months,” Browne said. “Having personally known Peter for a long time now, I know that I will be getting a top car with top personnel and should settle in quickly. This season will have a steep learning curve with a new car and also new tracks to learn, but I’m ready to get going and look forward to see what we can achieve together. A huge thanks to Turn 3 Motorsport for giving me the opportunity to compete in the USA as I’ve only competed in Europe and England before, but I’m excited to experience what it has to offer.”
“I’m delighted to have Jonathan join our program for the 2022 season,” said team owner Peter Dempsey. “It’s always exciting to welcome another young talent to the team. Obviously I’ve followed Jonathan’s career over the past few years while he was racing with my dad’s team, and I’ve had the pleasure of being his teammate for the 2018 and 2019 Formula Ford Festivals.
“This season is going to be a big challenge for him stepping up to the Indy Pro, but I’m confident that we can give him the tools to develop his skills as a driver in the U.S. and climatize himself to the racing environment in this country. “Jonathan has a very smooth driving style which I feel is really going to suit the Indy Pro, and we are looking forward to getting him in the car to prepare for the season in mid to late January.”
With the introduction of a new chassis for both the USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000 series next year, Turn 3 Motorsport will be hard at work in the coming months building and testing upgraded cars in preparation for the opening race.
The Tatuus IP-22 and USF-22 will include a new, wider monocoque with the addition of a Halo device as well as new sidepods, underfloors, engine covers, air ducts, damper covers and fuel cells.
The first event of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires season will take place on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., Feb. 25-27.